24 Years Winnipeg, Manitoba
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May 5 - 20, 2010 • Volume 24, Number 9
Judy Wasylecia-Leis is running for mayor
Publications Mail Agreement 40032612
MP Maxime Bernier visits Winnipeg
Philippine Elections - May 10
Pages 6,7,9 ► New chapter in Philippine politics set to begin on May 10. First automated election in Philippine history.
Discovering the Greek Islands
Page 14 ►
Page 20 ► Winnipeg civic elections set for October 2010.
Shares vision of conservatisim with MP Joy Smith.
MaCCFA committed to address community issues
Page 13 ► Gem Anis’ magical journey through Greece.
Pages 20,21,23 ►
Pages 16, 17 ►
MaCCFA officers officially inducted at PCCM.
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Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
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May 5 - 10, 2010
May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - Now on
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Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Filipino Journal Ron Cantiveros Publisher
aLfie vera mella Associate Editor
Rod Escobar Cantiveros Sales & Advertising
Rosalinda Linsangan Natividad-Cantiveros
Founder, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief- Filipino Journal 1987-2008
www.FilipinoBrideAndGroom.com Published Annually
May 5 - 10, 2010
Published Quarterly
Derksen Printers (Steinbach, MB) Printers
Contributing Writers: Lucille Nolasco
Fran Avila-Anthony
RG (Bob) Gabuna Dr. Eusebio Koh Reis Pagtakhan
Joan Duhaylungsod
Mike Pagtakhan
Pastor Junie Josue
Ramon Toralba
Johnny Cantiveros
Perry Diaz
Paulo G. Ercia
Gem M. Anis
Ruwiz Mercado
We welcome submissions-news, articles, pictures and letters. Letters must include signature and phone number; names can be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit for length and content. All submissions, unless arrangements are made, become the property of the publisher. Reproduction of contents, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the expressed written permission from the Publisher/ Editor. Opinions by columnist, writers, and readers do not in any way reflect those of the Publisher/Editor.
Published by Molave Publishing Company, Inc. 46 Pincarrow Rd., Winnipeg, MB R3Y 1E3 •Tel: (204) 489-8894 Fax: (204) 489-1575 •info@filipinojournal.com •www.filipinojournal.com Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032612 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Molave Publishing Company, Inc. 46 Pincarrow Road, Winnipeg, MB R3Y 1E3
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May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
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Filipino Journal
Philippine News
(This new column is reserved for the readers of Filipino Journal who have something to say about particular issues concerning, but not limited to, the Filipino culture especially politics and current events. So, if you have something to say, write it down and then submit it to elfideas102@yahoo.com. If we find your article befitting our standards, we will publish it here.—Ed.)
Isang Araw, Para sa Anim na Taon
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lang araw na lang ang nalalabi, at idaraos na namang muli ang halalang pambansa ng Pilipinas. Isang araw na magdidikta ng patutunguhan ng bansa sa susunod na anim na taon. Napakaraming satsat ng mga pulitiko. Kunsabagay, kailangan nila talaga ’yon. Kailangan nilang magpaligsahan sa isa’t isa; kailangang marinig ng sambayanan ang kanilang mga plano sa bansa—totoo man ang mga ito o hindi, may kakayanan man silang tuparin ang mga ito o wala. May tampo nga lang ako sa sambayanang Pilipinas. Sa tingin ko kasi ay may mali sa pamamaraan ng pagpili ng maraming tao sa kung sino ang nais nilang iluklok sa posiyon ng pagkapangulo. Hindi naman sa nakikialam ako sa boto ng mga tao, subalit pinupuna
ko lang naman ang sa tingin ko ay maaaring lunasan. Kahit pa siguro yung kinaiinisan kong kandidato ang maging pangulo, basta ba kayang ipaliwanag ng mga bumoto kumbakit siya ang karapatdapat; at basta ba makatwiran ang mga dahilang ito—e wala akong magiging reklamo. Pero nakalulungkot na mapanood sa telebisyon o mabasa sa Internet ang karamihan ng kanilang rason. “Kasi mabait ito. Ito naman, kaibigan ni ano. Yung isang iyon naman e mapagbigay na tao. Eto na lang, kasi hindi ko gaano kilala yung ibang kandidato. Ah, siya ang iboboto ko kasi anak siya ni ano at ni ano.” Kabaitan lang ba ang kailangan para mapatakbo ang isang bansa? Kaibigan nga siya ni ano, e paano naman yung mga hindi niya kaanu-ano? E di
palakasan na naman ang magiging uso! Mapagbigay sa kapitbahay? Sa sandaling siya ay maging pangulo, maging mapagbigay kaya siya sa sangkatauhang Filipino? O baka naman maging doble ang bigay pero doon lang sa mga malapit sa kanyang puso? Hindi mo kakilala ang marami sa tumatakbo bilang pangulo. Wala ka bang kaunting oras man lang na mailalaan para makilala mo nang lubusan ang mga ito? Dahil sa katamaran mo e babagsak na naman ang boto mo sa mga sikat na paulit-ulit naman ang pambobola at panloloko? Medyo huli na para magreklamo, kasi ilang araw na lang at halalan na. Pero sana naman, pag-isipan ng bawat boboto kung sino bang talaga ang karapatdapat na maging pangulo. Nakakatakot mang isiping wala nang pag-asa ang Pilipinas, pero sa mga pagkakataong tulad nitong darating na halalan—diyan mo magagamit ang iyong pagkaFilipino. Kahit sa kaunting paraan lamang e baka sakaling ang takbo ng buhay sa Pilipinas e iyong mabago. ---by Michael Gerard Borja, currently a student at University of Manitoba whose fields of interest include Music, Philosophy, and Political Science.
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May 5 - 10, 2010
Arroyo lawyer urges postponement of elections
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he election lawyer of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has sought the postponement of the May 10 polls for 15 days as the only remedy to prevent a failure of elections and to give poll officials enough time to prepare for manual elections. Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the 15-day postponement would be reasonable to give time for the Comelec to print additional forms for manual tally and canvass. He added that there was a legal basis for Comelec to postpone the polls, citing the Supreme Court’s decision three months ago in the case of Harry Roque versus the poll body.
Iglesia Ni Cristo will support Noynoy, Mar
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glesia ni Cristo leader Eduardo Manalo officially endorsed Liberal Party tandem Senators Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas The INC leader also told the members to vote for the senatorial candidates in the list. The support of the religious group is courted
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by many candidates since the INC votes as a bloc as rooted in the INC’s belief in the principle of unity. The INC previously endorsed the candidacies of Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo in the 1998 and 2004 presidential elections, respectively.
May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
by Lucille Nolasco lucille_nolasco@yahoo.com
A Most Patient Heart
When Augustine was sent to Carthage to pursue higher learning, he had become a Manichean (a religion founded by the Persian Mani in the latter half of the third century. It purported to be the true synthesis of all the religious systems then known, and actually consisted of Zoroastrian Dualism, Babylonian folklore, Buddhist ethics, and some small and superficial, additions of Christian elements. - newadvent. org) and when on his return home he ventilated certain heretical propositions, much to his mother’s distress. It was also said that Augustine fathered a child with his mistress whom he lived with for several years. But instead of disowning her son because of his misdeeds, St. Monica continued praying and believing that one day her son would change. She even sent Augustine to a bishop, St. Ambrose, to convince him of his errors. It was not until Augustine was in his 30s that he finally converted and was baptized by St. Ambrose. Not long after, as St. Monica
“Nothing is far from God.” - St. Monica Back in highschool, we used to celebrate the feast day of St. Augustine every year, because of the nuns in-charge of our school, the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation. With Religion being part of the curriculum, the students were expected to know about the life of St. Augustine by heart. So it was through these teachings that we also got to know, St. Augustine’s mother, St. Monica. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there is not much known aboutSt. Monica’s childhood. Born in Tagaste, North Africa in 333, she was married early in life and had three children Augustine the eldest, Navigius the
second, and a daughter, Perpetua. Although a devout Christian, St. Monica’s husband, Patritius was a pagan official in Tagaste. He had a mean temper and dissolute habits. His wife’s good deeds and prayers annoyed him, but it is said that he always held her in a sort of reverence. Because of her husband’s influence, St. Monica’s three children were not baptized and also lived an un-Christian life. But when a young Augustine fell ill, Patritius reluctanly relented for the boy to be baptized. But when Augustine recovered, his father withrew his consent. Augustine grew to be a wayward and lazy young man, as he himself wrote in one of his writings, the Confessions.
300,000 teachers disenfranchised
Bro. Eddie asks Philippine National Comelec to Police on highest postpone automated alert for polls polls olice nationwide were
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he Department of Education (DepEd) urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday to act on the complaints of some 300,000 teachers on their possible disenfranchisement in the May 10 polls. The DepEd said the Comelec failed to reactivate the teachers’ registration as voters in their respective precincts. DeEd Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Franklin Sunga said the large number of teachers facing disenfranchisement was causing demoralization in the ranks. “Our teachers have been religiously performing their election duties as part of public service since the country’s first elections. For them to be deactivated as a consequence of their service is grossly unfair. We urge Comelec to listen to the plight of the teachers,” Sunga appealed. He said that in the past, the Comelec allowed teachers on poll duty to vote in their assigned precincts and not where they are registered. As provided by Comelec guidelines, any person who has not voted in the precinct where he is a registered voter for the past two elections is automatically removed from the voters’ list. Since teachers who served as members or heads of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) voted in the precincts where they were serving and not in their original precincts, the Comelec has deactivated their original voter registration, causing their disenfranchisement. OPINIONS
was preparing to return to Africa, she died at the age of 56 at the port of Ostia. As recounted by St. Augustine, before she died she told him: “There was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little in this life, and that was that I might see you a Catholic before I died. My God hath answered this more than abundantly, so that I see you now made His servant and spurning all earthly happiness. What more am I to do here?” (Augustine: Confessions)
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angon Pilipinas presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva called Thursday (May 6) on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to postpone the elections on Monday to allow more time for the testing of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines. Villanueva filed a petition before the Comelec seeking the deferment of the May 10 elections to May 24. “We are asking the Comelec to assure the public (of) the integrity, smooth performance and legal requisites of the automated elections by doing more random tests,” Villanueva said. “If, after the tests, it still encounters problems, then we are asking the Comelec to consider the postponement of Monday’s elections to May 24,” he said. Villanueva took the initiative to file a petition to move the elections to a later date following the malfunction of the PCOS machines during an initial test run last Monday. The malfunction, traced to a misconfiguration of the compact flash cards in the PCOS machines, triggered fears of a failure of elections. Villanueva said the Comelec should regain the public trust in the automated election system by conducting a more thorough testing of the machines.
placed on full alert Wednesday in preparation for the elections on Monday, May 10. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the action is meant to ensure maximum availability of resources and personnel for election duties and regular law enforcement operations. “The PNPand theAFPtogether with other law enforcement agencies are committed to ensure the orderly and peaceful conduct of the elections and will always be ready to help the Comelec in its objective of honest, orderly, and peaceful elections,” he said. All leaves of the 130,000 policemen have been canceled and all personnel are required to report for duty, according to PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina.
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For those of us who are not very patient, remember that St. Monica patiently waited 13 years for her son to change his ways, through constant prayer and supplication to God. As patience is a virtue, we might want to practice doing it more often as St. Monica taught us to do. St. Monica’s feast day is May 4th. Happy Mother’s Day to all our loving and patient mothers! Hanggang sa muli!
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Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Far from Quiet by Joan Duhaylungsod
Why Richard Gordon?
(plus bits and pieces of the election 2010)
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irst of all, convince me why not him. If whoever reads this has good reasons, I will surely welcome them @ joan0622_rn@yahoo.com. But for now, let me give you reasons why I think he best qualifies to be the 2010 President. Not Gibo. Not Noynoy. Not Erap. And of course, not Villar. I will vote for Gordon, simply because he is Richard Gordon. I was 14 years old when I knew that he was Gordon. He was one of the guest speakers in the Red Cross National Youth Congress which I was a delegate. I was amazed with his eloquence as public speaker, but not just that. While he was delivering his speech, a bunch of delegates were chit-chatting on one corner instead of listening. Amid his speech, he called the attention of these younglings, and reminded them of ethics and etiquettes, the value of discipline, and what could have been worse if the country is composed of people who are not listening. Right then and there, I thought, (politically-inclined as I am even at an early age), that’s the president I want to have for my country. So you ask, why him? Because we, Filipinos, need a competent leader, and that Gordon has the best track record among the presidential candidates
thus far. He is a man of action and man of results. He positively changed Olongapo as mayor. He was able to improve tourism in the Philippines as a DOT secretary, despite the unrest in Mindanao. He championed for laws as a senator. He, as a chair, invigorates the power of volunteerism in the Red Cross and created a lot of development in the organization through his networking and resource mobilization prowess. Say, other candidates may have their respective accomplishments, but they can never be at par with Gordon’s track record. If we just get rid of the emotional appeals of other candidates and compare them according to their credentials, Gordon best qualifies among them all. Because we (though not
all), Filipinos, lack discipline, and that we need a president like Gordon who can regulate instead of tolerate, people. We do not need a father of the country who lets his kids boss him around. We need a father who has integrity to lead a family of ninety-some million Filipinos. Sociology says that when the society is made up of undisciplined people, we may need an autocratic leader who knows how to redirect things. There is a thin line between being a disciplinarian and being a dictator though. The rub is that most of us do not know how to handle the truth, and do not forgive ourselves if we are mistaken. If we define dictatorship as something that has the ability to step-up and make decisions which may not be necessarily be good but still are right, how then do we have to define democracy or too much of it? Because we (though not all), Filipinos, have lost our accountability and responsibility in shaping and reshaping our country, and that Gordon, among all the candidates, as far as I know, is the one who stands up for it. More than the issue of corruption, one alarming problem that our country is facing right now is its populace giving up self-esteem and character. That’s why we buy unprincipled ideas like votebuying, different propaganda, and even simple apathy and passiveness. Other presidential candidates condition the minds of poor people that it is the government’s sole responsibility to uplift their economic condition, when in fact, what they could have done is to let everyone realize, poor or rich, that each Filipino has a personal and social responsibility. Empowerment, we call it, is something that I see
Gordon has been capable of. Because we Filipinos are innately talented, and that we need a leader like Gordon who never settles for mediocrity, rather, champions for a society of educated, intelligent, and talented Filipinos. After all, we Filipinos are the lifeblood of our nation. If we come to pool our resources together, Philippines will have its own redemption, and will have its gears propelling to nowhere else but excellence. Because we Filipinos need to redefine what public service is, and that I see Gordon living up to what the real public service is. You help, even when there is no media around. You help, even if it is not remunerating. You help, because you want to improve people’s lives, and not to let them remain dependent on what the government can do for them. You help, even if you are not running for any position. You serve simply because it is your passion. How else will you make me stop campaigning for him? I concede with what one of the Gordon supporters wrote in her blog: I will quit campaigning for Gordon only if I see him in a sex video scandal. We only have few days before the 2010 Election will take place. This could have been the first in the history when we are to use the automated voting system. However, there has been a problem with the flashcards and they are now being recalled to be reconfigured. The SMARTmatic pledges that they can do the job and have them fixed on or before May 7. Whether or not they can do it right this time, they already have stained the credibility and accuracy of the automated election. Up to this moment, the COMELEC has not mentioned
May 5 - 10, 2010
any solid contingency plan if the automated system fails. It is seriously alarming, as not fixing the problem right might doom the country to failure of elections. I do not want Gloria MacapagalArroyo to stay there longer. Just a thought: I wish they could postpone the 2010 elections for a few more days until they have these things figured out. Whether it is unconstitutional or not, I am not certain. If they have to go back to manual counting, it’s fine, as long as every inch of detail is ironed out. We do not go to the battle unprepared. The 2010 Election has this all-or-nothing principle. So many years have passed by and the Philippines has never cleansed itself from the puddle of mud. We are going down. I remember Randy David, UP professor and the Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, in one of his talks, said that one good way of checking the status of the Philippines is to look at it from the outside. This is what he meant. Now that I am from abroad, I have a better picture of my country’s struggles. I find them so disheartening. This election seems to be our one last chance. It is all or nothing. After the elections, it is not really the candidates who win or lose; it is actually the Philippines that will be at stake. If we make the right choices and vote the right people to lead the country, we might see hope for our country’s redemption. If we don’t, I do not know how else to rescue a country disillusioned. I am writing this article because I care a lot for my home country. And even if I am here in Canada, at the end of the day, I still am a Filipino.
CBC Diversity Scholarship now includes eight-week work experience at CBC Manitoba
M
ay 3, 2010. CBC Manitoba is excited to announce that the CBC Diversity Scholarship now includes an eight-week work experience at CBC Manitoba in addition to a $1,000 academic scholarship. The scholarship will be presented to a youth who comes from an ethnic or ancestral background that is a visible minority or Aboriginal. The recipient will also be offered an eight-week work experience at CBC Manitoba in Winnipeg in July and August 2010. The CBC Diversity Scholarship is intended for youth graduating high school with the intention of entering the field of broadcasting or journalism. “CBC is committed to representing the diversity of people and voices that make up Canada and this community,” explains John Bertrand, Managing Director of English Radio and Television for
CBC Manitoba. “We want talented young people to consider working here to help us do that. We’ve created this scholarship to support and encourage those high school students who’ve already made the decision to pursue a career in journalism or broadcasting. They will be the CBC journalists and programmers of the future.” Applicants must be in their final year of high school, present a minimum average of 70%, live in Manitoba at time of application and hold Canadian citizenship or residency. The application deadline is May 28, 2010. For more information or to download a form log onto: h t t p : / / w w w. c b c . c a / m a n i t o b a / community/2010/04/cbc-diversityscholarship-manitoba.html Or drop by: CBC Manitoba, 541 Portage Avenue.
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May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
by R. Reis Pagtakhan, LL.B., B.A. (Hons.) rrp@aikins.com
Starting a Business Partnership
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f you and a friend decide to open up a business, but you do not want to incorporate yet and you are wondering if you are in a legal partnership. The answer to this may be yes. How do I know if my business is a partnership? If your business is unincorporated and you have one or more partners, you are probably in a partnership. My partner does something wrong, am I liable? Unlike corporations— which limit liability to shareholders, directors, and officers—a partners in a business may be held personally liable for anything that the other partner does. In addition, the partners may also be held liable for anything an employee does. If you are found liable, you may have to pay these liabilities with your personal assets (such as your house) if there is insufficient money in the business. How can I protect myself from partnership liability? There are many ways to protect yourself. For one, you may get insurance for your business. Another, make sure that you have a
system in place to minimize errors that can be made. You may also always incorporate the business or create another business structure to take advantage of legal liability protections.
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I put in more hours than my partner—should we share profits equally? Unless you have an agreement that states otherwise, all partners are entitled to share equally in the profits of the business. In the same manner that all partners must contribute equally towards losses. In addition to the partnership business, I own another business. Is this a problem? If your business sells the same
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this means once every 2 years. Mammography is the best test we currently have to find breast cancer early – it is important. We have found that women who participate in the breast screening program are 24% less likely to die of breast cancer than women who don’t. Our next mobile clinic is set for June 1 to 3, 2010 at the new Health Action Centre at 640 Main St. Women who want to make an appointment can call 788-8000. Appointments are easy to book, run on time, and only take about half and hour. Please take the time for breast screening. “The MBSP understands that women are busy”, explains Brandy Pantel, health educator with the program. “We make every effort to provide many appointment options including evening and early morning appointments.” We have sites in Winnipeg, Thompson, Brandon, and Boundary Trails and 90 mobile locations throughout Manitoba. “You do not need a doctor’s referral to make an appointment,” explains Dr. Sisler, a family physician who also works with CancerCare Manitoba. “But I
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products or services as that of the IT expert: Full automated polls impossible partnership, you may be required to pay all of your profits from your business to the partnership. If you have consent of your partners to carry on with your business without having to pay your profits to the partnership, you will not have anything to worry about. Should my partner and I sign a partnership agreement? This is usually a good idea: A partnership agreement is a legal document that states each partner’s rights and obligations. Partnership agreements may be used to determine how new people get into the partnership, other business interests ommission on Elections with limited time left to election partners can get into, (Comelec) officials day, Halalang Marangal secretaryshares in profits that on Thursday (May 6) general Roberto Verzola expressed might be different on the declared the testing and sealing doubts that full automated polls basis of a person’s doing of Precinct Count Optical Scan are even possible. different things for the (PCOS) machines in Metro “We are a bit worried that the business. Manila--counting in the cities of compact flash cards will not reach Paranaque, Makati and Marikina- their destination on time,” Verzola This article is -a 100% success. said on ANC’s “The Rundown” prepared for general “It’s all systems go for the on Thursday. information purposes election officers. We’re prepared “It is our wish that it would only and is intended to for D-day May 10,” Comelec- push through, but if we look at provide comments for National Capital Region (NCR) our options, I’m very pessimistic readers and friends of Election Director Atty. Michael that the automated system can Filipino Journal. The Dioneda said. push through in most precincts. contents should not be He added reports from the And the manual count has backviewed as legal advice or opinion. field suggest testing and sealing up for 30%, so there’s a question If you have specific questions has been successful because new mark for the remaining 70%. concerning immigration law, you flashcards are all functioning and We’re down to a no-option should discuss them with a legal reading accurately. Dioneda added situation it seems... We have been advisor of your choice. he expects other areas to get the painted into a corner, we are now Reis Pagtakhan is a lawyer reconfigured compact flash cards in a corner where every option has with the law firm of Aikins, by Saturday. been shut,” he added. MacAulay & Thorvaldson LLP. But amid such delays, and He practices in the areas of immigration law and corporate and commercial law. His direct line is 957-4640. If you like to It matters to know more about Pagtakhan or Aikins, you may visit the firm’s Web site: www.aikins.com.
Why women don’t have a mammogram hen was the last time you put yourself first? When was the last time you did something really important for your health? The Manitoba Breast Screening Program (MBSP) invites women age 50 to 74 to come for regular routine mammograms. About 30 to 35% of Manitoba women have not come or haven’t returned on a regular basis. Why haven’t they come? The Canadian Community Health Survey asked this question of the eligible Canadian population. The reasons why women don’t come for a mammogram are very interesting. Where do you fit in? Thirtyseven percent of non-attendees didn’t think it was important; 33% didn’t get around to it, and 14% say their doctors didn’t think it was necessary. Only 8 % listed fear, pain or embarrassment as the reason. The goal of the MBSP is to save lives by finding breast cancer early when it is most treatable and there is the best chance of a cure. In order to benefit the most from screening, women need to attend regularly – for most women
Filipino Journal
do remind my patients to call for an appointment when they have forgotten or have put it off. It’s important because mammograms can find most small breast cancers long before I can feel it -in its early stage, when there are no signs or symptoms of breast cancer.” Most women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Many of these women have no risk factors for breast cancer other than being a woman who is getting older. “Having a regular mammogram is an important part of taking care of your health, for women age 50 and over” adds Brandy Pantel. If you have any questions about breast screening or would like a group presentation, please call Brandy Pantel, the Health Educator with the MBSP at 788-8353. The program is administered through CancerCare Manitoba, the organization responsible for cancer prevention, detection, care, research and education throughout Manitoba. More information about the program is available on the CancerCare Manitoba website at www.cancercare.mb.ca/MBSP.
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You.
The mobile mammogram (breast x-ray) is coming to the:
Health Action Centre new location - 640 Main St June 1, 2 & 3, 2010
Take time for your breast health!
Breast cancer screening could save your life! Women 50 and over are invited to make an appointment
788-8000 www.cancercare.mb.ca/mbsp
10 Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Korea. Britain of course can join this nondescript group if it wishes to. By any standard, Pope Benedict XVI is a head of state and is accorded immunity under international law. But more important than this immunity is the person himself.
by Dr. Eusebio Koh
T
Pray for the Pope
he news last month to arrest Pope Benedict XVI when he visits the United Kingdom in September is another attack on the Catholic Church. An atheist group led by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, author Christopher Hitchens, and the human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson plans to have him arrested during his state visit over his alleged coverup of sexual abuse in the Church. They want to put him on trial “for crimes against humanity.” Professor Adam Roberts, emeritus professor of international relations at Oxford University, dismissed the bid as a “publicity stunt.” He said, “For an individual to be prosecuted for ‘crimes against humanity’ there would need to be
strong evidence that the relevant acts were part of a widespread or systemic attack directed against any civilian population.” Indeed, it is a publicity stunt because the pope as a head of state is immune from prosecution and Pope Benedict’s record regarding the problem of sexual abuse is beyond reproach even before he became pope five years ago. The statehood of the Holy See is unquestionable. Its sovereignty as the central government of the Catholic Church to which over a billion Catholics belong is recognized internationally. The Holy See has diplomatic relations with 178 nations around the world with very few exceptions such as Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and North
Pope Benedict XVI is the one pope who in all likelihood will bring about a solution to the sexual abuse crisis. In 2001, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the man who is now pope, was made in charge of the Vatican’s response to the crisis. He had to look into the case files of every priest accused of pedophilia or other sexual abuse. His understanding of the gravity of the problem is therefore more thorough than anyone else in the Catholic Church. He definitely had a hand in removing guilty parties from the ministry. During his watch, the
Vatican has adopted a policy of zero tolerance and a willingness to get the civil authorities involved. After he became pope, his actions have been exemplary. As National Catholic Reporter correspondent John Allen Jr. put it: “As pope, Benedict XVI quickly brought the hammer down on a couple of high-profile Roman priests against whom accusations of abuse had been hanging around for decades, but who were long believed to be so well-connected as to be essentially untouchable. Later, Benedict became the first pope to meet with victims of sexual abuse, the first pope to offer a direct apology for the crisis in his own name, and the first pope effectively to break the Vatican’s wall of silence. Benedict has explicitly acknowledged that sexual abuse is both a grave sin, from a theological point of view, as well as a serious crime under civil law.” The threats of the atheists have certainly brought a lot of attention to them. They have also put the Catholic Church under attack for the erring priests. Considering the ratio of the bad apples to the good ones and comparing the Catholic priests with ministers, rabbis, imams, or mentors of other religious or organized groups or the population in general, I would hazard a guess that the Catholics are the least abusive. But they are in the limelight because they don’t fight
May 5 - 10, 2010 back, they turn the other cheek and more and more people are joining the Catholic Church. I have no sympathy for pedophile priests or anyone in a position of authority who abuse people supposedly under his care or supervision. I am more in sympathy with those who have to deal with the abusers. I pity the bishop who has to deal with a priest who has confessed to sexual abuse and has vowed never to do it again. I don’t believe the bishop has the authority to remove the priest from ministry. That prerogative belongs to the Vatican. The bishop may suspend the priest and conduct an investigation. But after reconciliation and penance, Catholic doctrine declares that the sinner is now cleansed. Why would it be wrong to assign the guilty to another parish? In the same token, when a person has been convicted of a crime and has served the appropriate sentence, don’t we release him back to society? The plans of Dawkins, Hitchens, et al are laughable but they should be taken seriously and security for Pope Benedict XVI should be tight not only against some clowns but also against anyone planning on doing the pope some harm. For the part of of those who have faith in the pope, we pray for his safety and safe return to the Vatican after his visit to the U.K. in September.
PGM Scholarship Grant 943-1466
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iezl Cruz is the lucky recipient of the Pangasinan Group of Manitoba, Inc. (PGM) sponsored One Year Vocational Scholarship Grant. She has just completed her one year cosmetology non-degree course at the Manantan Technical School in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, Philippines. PGM scholarship project chairman Peter Estrada and PGM president Rowena Oquendo said that this is the first scholarship award granted to an indigenous student who will take up a one - year technical or vocational course of his /her choice with the tuition fees and other incidental expenses shouldered by PGM. Liezl, her parents Laddy and Cecilia Cruz and the host school thank the PGM for this scholarship privilege by the group.
Photo taken in front of the Manantan Technical School. (L-R): Manantan Technical School Administrator Arturo Aquino, Vocational Course Scholar Liezl Cruz, Cosmetology department instructress Liza Martinez and Journalist/ Radio Broadcaster Edgar Orbeta Salgado. Photo by Reyne Cruz / Filipino Journal
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May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
PEREZCOPE by Perry Diaz PerryDiaz@gmail.com
Best and Worst Case Scenarios
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ith barely a week left to the May 10 elections, poll surveys have consistently shown Noynoy Aquino with a solid base of supporters. And if these surveys were the best indicators of who would be elected president, then it would be Noynoy with 12% to 18% lead over his closest opponent. The Manila Standard survey conducted last April 25-27 shows former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada ahead of Manny Villar for the first time, 22% and 20%, respectively, and frontrunner Noynoy with a formidable 38% rating. My take is that Erap’s numbers would continue to increase at the expense of Villar who would slide down to 15% on election day. I expect Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro’s 9% rating to double to 20% on election day. This is due to the “command vote” of LakasKampi-CMD local incumbent candidates who are supporting him. He claims that 50 incumbent governors are supporting him. Meanwhile, Noynoy enjoys a rock-solid support base of 37%. However, he might lose a few points due to “electronic Garci” dagdag-bawas (add-subtract) cheating operations in favor of Villar or Gibo, whoever the “cheating syndicate” in Comelec would “sell” to. Best Case Scenario The following is my forecast for the May 10 presidential election, plus or minus 3%: 1. Noynoy Aquino 35% 2. Erap Estrada 25% 3. Gibo Teodoro 20% 4. Manny Villar 15% 5. Others 5% My forecast is predicated on “clean elections.” However, the whole country -- and the global Filipino community -- is abuzz with apprehension that this year’s
elections might be the dirtiest since the 1949 elections when “flying voters” and all kinds of cheatings were rampant. This year, there is documentary proof that there could be as many as five million “flying voters” and “zombie voters.” This happened as a result of erroneous compilation of the voters’ list by SmartmaticTIM. Smartmatic-TIM is the company contracted by Comelec to develop and implement the country’s first Automated Election System (AES). Last May 1, a news report said: “Smartmatic operators, technicians and supervisors in Lanao del Sur are all partisans. Some of them are sons, daughters, nephews and nieces. We complained before our election officer but we [were] surprised when he told us that all election officers in Lanao del Sur, (40 municipalities and 1 city) have no knowledge as to who have been appointed. According to him, they signed a manifesto regarding this matter and submitted the same to the Commission on Elections in Manila but until now there is no reaction taken by the Comelec.” Is the situation in Lanao del Sur indicative of the vulnerability of the rest of the country to an electronic version of “dagdagbawas” reminiscent of the “Hello Garci” cheating scandal during the 2004 elections? If so, then the presidential elections on May 10 would just be a farcical exercise running behind the façade of Smartmatic-TIM, whose legitimacy is now being questioned. In my last article, “Who owns Smartmatic-TIM?”, I wrote: “They were even able to fool the public into thinking that the contract Comelec entered into was with the Venezuelan connected Dutch incorporated foreign corporation, Smartmatic. It’s not. It’s with a Philippine registered
corporation called Smartmatic Sahi Technology Inc. incorporated only in March 23, 2008 where the primary shareholder is Cezar Quiambao and his family – a golfing buddy of the First Gentleman.” Second Scenario: Electronic Garci A massive “electronic Garci” cheating operation could drastically change the outcome of the presidential elections in favor of Villar. To achieve victory, Villar has to win by at least 30% of the vote. That means that at least seven million votes have to be surreptitiously added to his count and subtracted from Noynoy’s. Noynoy would then slide down to 20% of the vote. If this scenario happens, it could trigger a “people power” revolution. A survey conducted a few months ago showed that onehalf of the people expect a “people power” revolution in the event of massive election cheatings. Concerned about the prospect of “electronic Garci” or other forms of election cheating, Noynoy indicated that he himself would lead a “people power” revolution should it happen like in the 1986 EDSA “people power” revolution that deposed the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted his mother Cory Aquino to the presidency.
Worst Case Scenario: Martial Law/Military Revolt However, it is expected that once Gloria reclaims the presidency, all hell would break loose. There would be pandemonium on the streets which would most likely lead to an imposition of martial law to quell public outrage over Gloria’s Machiavellian power grab. Speculation is rife that if martial law was imposed, a military revolt would erupt pitting antiArroyo and pro-Aquino military officers against the military top brass loyal to Gloria. Recently, Noynoy disclosed that he had a meeting with several members of the Philippine Military
Third Scenario: No Proclamation But worse than a questionable Villar victory is a scenario where Congress does not proclaim the winners of the presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial elections by June 30, 2010 when Gloria will step down from the presidency. In the absence of a president, a vice president, and a Senate president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives would be next in the presidential line of succession. It is for this reason that Gloria is running for a congressional seat this year in which she is expected to win. She would then vie for the Speakership of the House of Representatives, which she is also expected to get. And from there, she’s on her way back to the presidency… and power.
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Filipino Journal 11
Academy (PMA) classes of 1977, 1978 and other younger batches. He said that they discussed the officers’ role in the event of a “failure of elections” on May 10. Apparently, Gloria doesn’t have the loyalty of all the generals, a situation that could play into the hands of Noynoy if massive cheating resulted in undermining his votes. At the end of the day, if the second or third scenario happened, it could trigger the “worst case scenario” which could bring the country to the brink of civil war… all because of Gloria’s hunger for power. There is a term for that: megalomania.
12 Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
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May 5 - 10, 2010
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The Beautiful Islands Of Greece
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iscovering the beautiful islands of Greece is a journey into the architectural heritage and centuries-old traditions of a multifaceted cultural past of the 6,000 islands and islets sprinkled on the blue waters of the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Of these islands only 227 are inhabited. The Greek islands are extremely popular among Greek and foreign visitors. From the port of Piraeus in the Greece’s capital city of Athens we took a high-speed express ferry to the island of Santorini, also known as Thera. Situated opposite a volcano which is still active (the last eruption was in 1950 that destroyed many villages in the island), Santorini is a small circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea. Santorini is famous throughout the world for its grapes, for its stunning sunsets, breathtaking view of the volcanic and surrounding islands, black beaches of Kamari and Perissa, and many small churches. Some towns and villages like Phira and Oia are sitting on top of massive cliffs. Shopping is expensive in this cosmopolitan island. A one-day cruise to Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra aboard the luxury cruise boat allowed us to relax under the warm Greek sun of September and taste the Mediterranean sea breeze to enjoy the islands and their sandy rocky beaches, the traditional architecture, the narrow cobblestonepaved streets, the old quaint churches, the historical and archaeological sites,
and the colourful life of the people. Known for its production of pistachios, Aegina is the nearest island to Athens. During the antiquity Aegina was known for its powerful navy and it was once the first capital of free independent Greece. The island is also famous for its pine tree grooves, its verdant landscape and its medieval and Byzantine monuments. We also visited the 5th century BC Temple of Afaia, built on top of a hill. The island of Poros offers the most beautiful narrow passage in the country. During our free time in the port we walked through the narrow streets of typically white and blue-coloured houses up to the highest point from the island’s Clock Tower for a good panoramic view. One hour from Poros, the island of Hydra is the most picturesque and cosmopolitan port village in the Saronic Gulf. The island has a beautiful amphitheatrically-built harbour ringed with cafes, gold shops and restaurants and village of stone houses and villas on the hills. You can have fun with a donkey-ride as no cars and motorbikes are allowed in the island. Everything is moved by donkey, including groceries, building supplies, people, and their luggages. The most famous Greek island and a top tourist destination is Mykonos known for its sandy beaches, intense nightlife and cosmopolitan character. Exploring the largest town known as “Chora” we found a change from
Gem & Lita Anis
the blue and white decor of Greece to the rainbow of colours of the houses against the whitewashed walls and blue sky. Very few trees are in the landscape of rocks and boulders strewn across the terrain particularly outside of the capital Chora. Besides the spotless white Paraportiani Church, one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonow are the thatched windmills which have existed as early as the 16th century. Museums abound the most popular of which are the Archaeological and the Aegean Maritime Museums. However, the most visited Greek island is the windswept island of Tinos, the only Greek island noted for its pilgrimage tradition. 90% of its annual visitors are Greek nationals who come to this island as celebrating pilgrims for the miraculous healing icon called “Panagia Evangelistria”, meaning our “Lady of Good Tidings”, in the Church of Megolohari. The miraculous healing icon is a beautiful portrayal of the Blessed Virgin Mary kneeling with her head bent in prayer. Because of this Tinos is sometimes called the “Little Lourdes of Greece”. We learned that the peaceful town of Tinos would be crowded with many thousands of pilgrims during the festivals celebrating the anniversary of the icon and the Assumption of Mary in the months of January, March and August.
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The Island of Poros
Mykonos
Filipino Journal 13
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MP Maxime Bernier presents the values and relevance of the Conservative Party in the Canadian politics
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uring the East KildonanSt. Paul dinner, MP Maxine Bernier, Beauce, Quebec , expressed his gratitude to MP Joy Smith for working together in the Parliament while tackling the many issues affecting Canadians. In his cross-country speaking engagement, PM Bernier presented to the guests the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make this country economically stronger than other western countries. He focuses on the advantages of the conservatism in running the government. And Bernier stresses the values and relevance of the Conservative Party in a minority capacity. At the same time, the MP from Quebec congratulated MP Joy Smith for her fight against
women trafficking. This private bill authored by MP Joy Smith has been in the final approval in the senate. He met the officers of the Kildonan-St. Paul board and other members of the Winnipeg Conservative Party and other businessmen and members of the ethnic community. Allan Zoleta, vice-president of PCCM and vice-president, internal affairs of MaCCFA, is one of the members of her board. While Julie Javier, treasurer of PCCM and vicepresident, external affairs of MaCCFA, is being mentored by MP Joy Smith for possible active involvement in politics. Jana Morrison, a rising talented student, performed during the dinner.
MP Maxime Bernier, Beauce, Quebec, Julie Javier, an active PC member; MP Joy Smith, Kildonan-St. Paul and Taras Sokolysky, CEO Canad Inns.
MP Maxine Bernier accepts the “Red River Cart� as souvenir from Julie Javier and Maxime Bernier. Manitoba. Photos by Charles Cabiles | Filipino Journal Jana Morrison, a rising FilipinoCanadian talent, performs a musical number.
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18 Filipino Journal
May 5 - 10, 2010
Philippine Entertainment News
Philippine entries shine in international festival
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he 53rd New York Festivals has awarded medals on three Philippine entries in the International Television & Film Awards held on May 3 at the Penthouse Lobby of the American Airlines Theatre in Manhattan. Awarded a Silver World Medal for the News Promotion category is
ABS-CBN’s The Correspondents for the documentary “Pagpag (Leftovers),” which shows how scavengers would pick up leftovers from a dumpsite, dust it off, and eat it. ABS-CBN also won a Bronze World Medal in the Music Video: Low Budget category for
A total of 35 countries around the its “Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo” music globe competed for video. The promotional video the prestigious World encourages election vigilance and Medals in this year’s awareness among the youth. edition. GMA-7 on the other hand, earned a Bronze World Medal in the Environment & Ecology category for its special documentary Planet Philippines. Other Philippine entries which received Finalist Certificates are: Case Unclosed of GMA-7, the lateevening newscast News on Q of GMA-7’s sister station Q Channel 11, and the film The Last Journey of Ninoy of Unico Entertainment.
ABS-CBN bags most appealing television station award
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he Most Trusted Brands 2010 Survey of the Reader’s Digest has conferred the prestigious Gold Award to giant television network ABS-CBN. Voted 100% by consumers, the award represents the ultimate seal of consumer approval for Television Network Category and affirms the network’s position as one of the most appealing television stations in the market. The award was received by ABS-CBN vice president for Corporate Communications
Bong Osorio and ABS-CBN vice president for Creative Communications Management Robert Labayen during the awarding rites held on April 30 at the New World Hotel in Makati City. Osorio said the award shows the enormous trust, confidence, and interest that the viewing public has for the network. The survey is widelyconsidered to genuinely reflect consumers’ choices of the most trusted and favorite brands in Hong Kong, India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines.
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Kris Aquino thanks INC for endorsement
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ctress and TV host Kris Aquino expressed her appreciation to the religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) for officially endorsing her brother Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and LP’s vice presidential bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. The endorsement was announced by INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo during WATC the worship service at the INC central temple in QuezonANNOUN City. Also earning the INC’s support were senatorial candidates Rep. Rozzano Biazon, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Winners will c former Sen. Franklin Drilon, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, Sen. Jinggoy more info Estrada, Rep.For Teofisto Guingona, Sen. Lito Lapid, Rep. Ferdinand Rd 46 Pincarrow Marcos Jr., former Sen. Ralph Tel: (2 Recto, and former Sen. Vicente Fax: (2 Sotto III. info filipi The support of the religious www.filipi group is courted by many candidates since INC members vote as a bloc and account between 1.5 million to 2 million votes. The INC previously endorsed the candidacies of Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo in the 1998 and 2004 presidential elections, respectively.
Filipino Journal 19
May 5 - 10, 2010
Angel Locsin graces FHM Philippines cover anew
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he premiere men’s magazine FHM Philippines is again featuring Angels Locsin for its May 2010 issue The sexy actress graces the magazine cover for the fourth
time having been featured in past issues namely, October 2003, March 2005 and October 2005. Copies of the magazine are available in all leading bookstores and magazine stands nationwide.
Christian Bautista plays the Veteran actresses share ‘dating game’ ilipino singer Christian acting award Bautista received a
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warm reception from his Indonesian fans when he recently participated as one of the celebrity male contestants in Indonesia’s top-rating dating game, ‘’Take Celebrity Out.’’ The dating game calls for the pop balladeer to search for his partner from among 30 famous single ladies - including the host of the show, Yuanita. The show ended with the audience picking Bautista and local actress Smitha. Both celebrities were awarded five million rupiah, or about 25, 000 pesos, in cash.
Prince of Indie Films voted as sexiest man for 2010
Coco Martin campaigns hard for Sen. Noynoy Aquino
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oung actor Coco Martin is busy nowadays as one of the celebrities campaigning doubly hard for the presidential bid of Sen. Noynoy Aquino. The provincial sorties have brought Martin and cocampaigners Kris Aquino, Dingdong Dantes, and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan to as far as Baguio and La Union.
The actor, who started campaigning for Noynoy since November 2009, said he is inspired by the warmth reception the team is receiving in every place they have visited. On his showbiz career, Martin said he is doing a film project about politics which will be shown after the elections. The actor started his acting career doing indie films.
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he 33rd Urian Awards given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino held at the UP Cine Adarna at University of the Philippines compound in Diliman, Quezon City show seasoned performers Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio sharing the Best Actress award. The duo was cited for their performance as two elderly women in the Brillante Mendoza drama “Lola.” The movie tells the story of grandmothers who find themselves at opposite ends of a murder case involving their grandsons. For his part, Mendoza won Best Picture for “Kinatay” and Best Production Design for “Lola.” This is Mendoza’s third best picture award from Urian, having won in 2009 for “Serbis” and for “Tirador” in 2007.
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Y
oung actor Coco Martin, the star of numerous critically acclaimed independent films, tops this year’s list of the 100 Sexiest Men in the Philippines. The actor, Rodel Nacianceno in real life, has also proven his acting talent by winning the 2006 Young Critics Circle Best
Actor for his performance in “Masahista.” He also won Best Supporting Actor in Gawad Urian and Golden Screen Awards for his performance in “Jay.” In television, he won Best drama Actor for the series “Tayong Dalawa,” in both Star Awards for TV and Gawad Tanglaw.
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May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Judy Wasylecia-Leis is running for mayor MaCCFA committed to address
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ong-time community friend and federal public servant throws hat into Mayoral race. Former Winnipeg North MP Judy Wasylecia-Leis stepped down from federal politics last month and recently announced her candidacy to become Winnipeg’s next Mayor. Her Worship Judy Wasylecia-Leis does have a nice ring to it. The 13-year Member of Parliament resigned on May 1st and immediately cast a wave within the political circles as to who may represent Winnipeg North riding. Point Douglas Councillor Mike Pagtakhan and provincial MLA Kevin Lamoreaux have expressed interest in seeking the federal Liberal nomination in Winnipeg North.
community issues
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Judy Wasylecia-Leis made her mayoral announcement to a packed audience of supporters at the Forks. Photo by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal
Kevin Lamoureux, Inkster Member of Legislative Assembly
Pt. Douglas Councillor Mike Pagtakhan
anitoba Council of Canadian Filipino Association (MaCCFA) has arrived to uniting the various associations in Winnipeg during the inauguration and oath taking of the officers and its board of directors at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba recently. The presence of the three levels of the government and various associations plus the founders and visionaries has attested the relevance of the council in the community. With the motto of “One voice...One Strength”, MaCCFA has become the latest voice of the Filipino community in the various issues on immigration, education, security, environment and human rights. “I am truly privileged, honoured and humbled to be chosen to lead MaCCFA. It is not every day that one gets to work with people who think out of the box and whose greatest interest is not in themselves but in how they can serve others. Unity and service to humanity is the essence of MaCCFA. We invite organizations and individuals who
share the same vision and mission to join us. Let us make a difference, here and now. As our motto states, “One voice for Unity and Strength”, let us come together, work together, grow together and succeed together. As individuals, we are capable of doing great things. Imagine what we can achieve by uniting. Imagine the possibilities,” says Rowena Oquendo, president. “The vision and mission is the basis of MaCCFA’s constitution. This is our foundation. We must grow together as a community and we must move forward to pave a way for our children to follow.” As MP Joy Smith, the inducting officer, says: “Working together towards a common cause is very important to maintaining one’s core cultural values, while contributing to the greater good of our society. Canada was founded by various ethnic groups who have maintained their culture while working with others to ensure a strong, prosperous and united country that we enjoy today.” see page 21
A special candle ceremony at the inaugural and induction of the MaCCFA officers and board of directors.
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The MaCCFA officers and board of directors and presidents of member associations The induction ceremony is led being inducted into office by MP Joy Smith. by Rowena Oquendo, MaCCFA president.
“Your organization plays a vital role by enhancing Manitoba’s capacity for embracing people of many cultures and heritages, from all over the world. the commitment and determination of your member organizations and volunteers makes that contribution possible. Your organizations efforts raise awareness of Manitoba’s multicultural diversity, mutual respect and understanding for all people in the international level,” Flor Marcelino, minister, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, says. And Councillor Mike Pagtakhan emphasizes: “The Filipino community has always been regarded by our city as a partner in pursuit of our continuing multi-cultural development. I firmly believe that MaCCFA will be complementing this goal as we look forward to building better communities in each part of the city.” And he added: “I would like to commend the efforts of MaCCFA President, Rowena Oquendo for her dedication and commitment to serving our community along with the rest of the officers, founding members of the organization.”
see page 22
Filipino Journal 21
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Jon Reyes of UPS Store with Dominique Maranan, 1st prize Art Contest Winner.
Standing, L-R: Councillor Mike Pagtakhan, MP Joy Smith, Julie Javier, George Hicks, MB Speaker of the House, Flor Marcelino, minister, tourism, heritage and culture; Maples MLA Mohinder Saran; seated, MLA Andrew Swan, attorney general.
Officers, board of directors and member associations at the inaugural and induction ceremony, seated, L-R: Jon Gerrard, MB Liberal leader; Jun Oquendo, Carrie de la Cruz, Julie Javier, MP Joy Smith, Letty Antonio, Rowena Oquendo, Rod Escobar Cantiveros; standing, L-R: Cory Juan, Seven Oaks Board of Trustee and officer of Timpuyog Ti Ilocano; Inkster MLAKevin Lamoureaux; Councillor Mike Pagtakhan, Rey Valderama, Bulacan Assn. of Manitoba; Allan Zoleta, Peter Estrada, Florencio “Tony” Antonio, Norman Padilla, Allan de la Cruz,Lupao Nueva Ecija Assn. of Winnipeg; Mr. Berrana, Batangas Association of Manitoba; Gem Anis, PhilCanadian Historical Society and Attorney General Andrew Swan.
MaCCFA officers convene before the induction.
Donated by the Filipino Journal. Pictured with the lucky door prize winner Benigno Flores, MaCCFA treasurer, Florencio “Tony” Antonio; PRO, Rod Cantiveros and MaCCFA President, Rowena Oquendo. Photos by Charles Cabiles | Filipino Journal
More photos available on FilipinoJournal.com
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The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
igurado akong pamilyar ka sa mga tulad nila. Madalas kang makasalubong ng mga ganito. O huwag mong sabihing isa ka sa mga ganitong klase ng tao! Sila yung mga kapag nasalubong mo at nginitian
mo dahil nakilala mo na naman sila sa isang okasyon o pagkakataon e hindi ka papansinin o di kaya e halatang iiwasang makasalubong ka o ang iyong tingin. Hindi mo tuloy malaman kung nahihiya ba
sila (baka may itinatago—guilty!), mga suplada o suplado (akala mo naman e ang gaganda o ubod ng guguwapo!), o sadya lang talagang ayaw makihalubilo dahil masyadong mataas ang turing sa sarili at mababa ang tingin sa iba. Sa eskwela e maraming ganyan—schoolmates na minsan na namang naipakilala sa akin ng common acquaintance pero kapag nasalubong ko makalipas ang ilang linggo e hindi na naman ako kakilala. Kahit ngitian ko e dadaanan lang akong parang walang nakita! Sabi ng mommy ko, sa pinagtatrabahuhan niya e marami ring ganyan. Ang ginagawa niya na
continued from page 21
unity, Oquendo says: “ I would like to take this opportunity to thank the individuals in our community whom we approached and had given us their pearls of wisdom and advice along our journey. They continue to guide us and they give us the boost that we need to keep moving forward. Also, I must thank the people who work beside me, our MaCCFA officers , who are incredibly dynamic, passionate, intelligent and immensely talented. I could not ask for a more wonderful group of people to work with. I salute their enthusiasm, the sacrifices they make and the tireless efforts they give into building this organization. MaCCFA is truly fortunate to have them.” The officers and board of directors inducted into the office by MP Joy Smith, Kildonan-St. Paul, include: Rowena Oquendo, president; Allan Zoleta, vice-president, internal; Julie Javier, vice-president, external; Clarita Nazario, secretary; Estelita “Letty” Antonio, asst. secretary; Florencio “Tony” Antonio, treasurer;
Jun Oquendo, asst. treasurer; Peter Estrada, auditor; Norman Padilla, public relations officer; Rod Escobar Cantiveros, press relation officers; Allan de la Cruz, Lupao Nueva Ecija Assocition of Winnipeg; and Carrie de la Cruz, Original Filipino Senior of Association of Manitoba (OFSAM) board of directors. Associations’ representatives: Ellen Chua and Africa Torres, OFSAM; Jose Lafeguierra, Ben Ahorro, Pangasinan Group of Manitoba, Inc. (PGM); Be Aquino and Edwin Azores, Quezon Province Association of Manitoba (QPAM); Gem Anis, Batangas Association of Manitoba and Philippine Canadian Historical Society; Rod E. Cantiveros, Teatro Filipino; Rey Valderama and Gernan Carangan, Bulacan Association of Winnipeg. Current member associations include Batangas Association of Manitoba, Bulacan Associaiton of Winnipeg, Inc., Nueva Ecija Association of Winnipeg, Inc. (LUNEAW)’; Original Filipino Seniors Association of Manitoba,
Mga Puna ni Inna Mahiyain, Suplada, Matapobre, o Inggitero?
S
MaCCFA.. And as Mayor Sam Katz summarizes: “Your hard work and dedication to supporting and uniting the Filipino community in Winnipeg is to be commended.” And from MLA Carl Benito of Edmonton who has been an inspiration in the formation of MaCCFA, and his message: “Today’s event is a show of pride in Filipino culture. By bringing together the local organizations within Winnipeg that have Filipino heritage in common, participants are fostering a sense of unity. By drawing your own talents, skills and knowledge- qualities that are valued and prevalent among our people, you are all enriching not only the lives of one another, but those of all people in your community. This, in itself, is a commendable accomplishment.” And because the foundation of MaCCFA started with some leaders in the community with vision of
May 5 - 10, 2010
lang daw e hindi niya na rin lang pinapansin ang mga ito. Sa sandaling isnabin siya nang makailang beses, itinuturing na niya itong hindi kakilala. Kaya laging paalala sa ’kin ni Mommy, wag akong maging mahiyain dahil baka mapagkamalan akong suplada. Ang tanong ko naman sa kanya, nalalaman ba kung kaya ka hindi pinansin o pinapansin ng isang tao e dahil mahiyain lang ito? Sabat ni Tito George, “Hindi na tayo mga bata para hindi malaman ang pagkakaiba ng mahiyain sa suplado o matapobre. Sa kilos na kilos na lang, dagdag pa ang itsura ng mukha, e mararamdaman mo naman kung sadyang nahihiya lang
ito sa iyo o talagang ayaw ka lang niyang pansinin. Kung wala ka namang ginagawang masama sa mga taong ito, hindi ka nila dapat iniisnab. Kaya hindi rin maganda ang sobrang mabait. Kung sakaling makasalubong ka ng mga ganitong klaseng tao—na ilang beses mo nang pinansin ay balewala ka pa rin sa kanila—wag mo na rin lang pansinin. Hindi mahihiyain ang mga iyan— sadya lang mga suplada, matapobre, o inggitero. Isa lang naman ang dahilan kumbakit sila ganyan—hindi nila maatim na pansinin ang mga taong kinaiinggitan nila, kaya ngitian mo man sila e siguradong iisnabin ka.”
Inc.(OFSAM). Pangasinan Group of Manitoba, Inc.(PGM) Quezon Province Association of Manitoba, Inc. (QPAM), Teatro Filipino and Philippine Canadian Historical Society. Among the founding individuals include Tess Newton, former president of Bicol Association; Popoy Gomez, former president of Bibak Association; Manny Aranez, Mel Masangkay and Muriel Masankay of Lipenos, Councillor Mike Pagtakhan of Bacoor Association; and Neme Juan, former president of Timpuyog Ti Ilocano and Cory Juan; Jomay Mercado of Damayan. Ben Ahorro, the former president of Pangasinan Group of Manitoba. MaCCFA also wishes to thank the winners of the 1st Art Contest held recently. The First Prize painting became the cover of the souvenir program. The winners were Dominique Maranan, 6th Grader, Holy Cross School, 1st prize, $500 donated by Jim Gauthier Autogroup; 2nd Prize: Jessa Gonzales, 9th Grader,
General Wolfe School, $300, donated by Letty Antonio, Julie Javier, and Rowena Oquendo; 3rd Prize, Justin Roy Miguel, 7th Grader, Andrew Mynarski VC School, $200 donated by Claire Nazario and Allan Zoleta. Consolation Prizes, Naomi Margaret Santiago, Andrea de la Cruz Tria, Garvey Ian Regis. Gary Jozfef Regis, and Elona Duot. Special thanks to door prize donors, sponsors and advertisers and to Jun Agustin of Players Course Restaurants and his staff; and Ed Balaquit, EJ Sound; and to Eldrin and Miriam Deuna, Rey-R Reyes of Pilipino Express, Jana Morrison and her Mom Becky, Ron Cantiveros and Filipino Journal photographers Charles, Bong and Boyet. Various community activities and events are being scheduled by MaCCFA for this year and for 2011. For more information about MaCCFA please communicate with the president and other officers.
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Filipino Journal 23
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24 Filipino Journal
by aLfie vera mella elfideas102@yahoo.com
Sneak into My Room Just to Read My Diary (On Memoirs and Other Literary Journals)
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here is an innate tendency for human beings to peek into the lives of others, perhaps because by doing so (considering that humans generally enjoy similar jubilations and suffer the same tribulations) they see also glimpses of their own lives. This is also the reason autobiographies, memoirs, published diaries, and other books about personal accounts and experiences are literary genres that many booklovers enjoy reading. Here are highly recommendable books that belong to such genres. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller (1903) This book is the autobiography of Helen Keller, detailing her early life especially her experiences with her instructor and companion Anne Sullivan. Keller was a deafblind girl who grew up to become an author, political activist, and lecturer. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1952) This book is based on the writings from a Dutch language diary written by Anne Frank while she with her family was in hiding for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. In 1944, Nazi police discovered the hiding place and seized the family and other occupants of the place. Anne Frank ultimately died of typhus in a concentration camp. After the war,
May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Anne’s father, Otto Frank, the only survivor of the family, retrieved the diary, which has now been published in more than 60 different languages. Night by Elie Wiesel (1960) This book is based on the experience of Wiesel as a young Orthodox Jew, of being sent with his family to the German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Night is the first of what became a trilogy of books (Dawn and Day, being the sequels) that reflects Wiesel’s state of mind during and after the Holocaust. The Concubine’s Children by Denise Chong (1994)
This book is the autobiography of Denise Chong, chronicling her family history beginning in about 1920 and ending in 1980. Its main character is Chong’s maternal grandmother, who came to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to serve as a concubine. The book makes sense out of the lives of many Chinese who immigrated to the West in search of a better life. Falling Leaves (Return to Their Roots) by Adeline Yen Mah (1997) This book is an autobiography of Adeline Yen Mah, relating her emotionally deprived childhood under the cruelty of her stepmother. Yen Mah grew up to be a physician and later a writer. All of Yen Mah’s books are based on true accounts in her early life, with strong allusions to classic Chinese culture. The Last Leaf An enthusiast of memoirs and biographical books myself, I wrote journals almost on a daily basis when I was in high school, and even to this day albeit sporadically. To me, writing journals is cathartic and catalytic in maintaining a receptive and retentive memory, while reading literary works of such nature very contemplative and inspiring. These books help me comprehend human nature better. “You had to sneak into my room just to read my diary...” sings Morrissey in his song “Suedehead,” from his debut solo album, Viva Hate (1988). Steven Patrick Morrissey is a prolific and highly influential English singer and songwriter, who rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the Postpunk band The Smiths; his lyricism may be regarded as a chapter in his diary which accounts his observations about the world as he sees it.
by aLfie vera mella
I may not have been too vocal in the past Of my respect and love—for they are so vast An old ballad sings: “Some good things never last” But in me, O’ Mother, may you put your trust My childhood memories with you and Father Are in my heart well-kept— be lost they’ll never Our countless strolls in Luneta and Ongpin Were magical as the lamp of Aladdin Your well-cried tears and heartily shed laughter Till my twilight I will always remember To be happy for and love one another You taught us how—my lovely sisters and me Forgiveness in our hearts, you said, should be free The reason we persevere to be better The pains and sacrifices that you’ve been through I shared them all with you; you know it is true Every ups-and-downs, you’re always there beside Me—believing, comforting, reassuring Like a hen, you reared us single-handedly Like chicks, we followed you affectionately I might have pecked and scratched you from time to time Whatever pain I’d caused you...pardon my rhyme For you, I will always be...hoping...dreaming I may not have been too vocal in the past Despite, you knew my love and respect are vast A few years more must pass—oh Time, such a tease! Yet from yearning to go home I’ll never cease {Happy Mother’s Day too to Charina Corbillon--the mother of my son, Evawwen, and stepchildren--Marina, Jannica, and Gabriel}
Career Trek sees students trek to graduation
I
t’s graduation season and this may conjure up images of prom dresses, tuxedos and limousines. But think again.
Picture this time, 220 students between the ages of 10 to 11 donning a cap and gown, with diploma in hand proudly beaming at their parents.
The graduates from last year’s convocation ceremony.
Darrell Cole, Executive Director of Career Trek and he is addressing the crowd at the 2009 convocation ceremony.
That’s precisely what happened on May 2 at the Prairie Theatre Exchange as these students graduated from Career Trek’s Phase 1 Program, where they spent every Saturday from mid-October to April learning about 80 careers in 17 fields at The University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba and Red River College. As a not-for-profit organization dedicated to exposing youth to various careers with hopes of encouraging them to pursue post-secondary education, Career Trek programming spans across Manitoba giving youth the opportunity to experience different careers. From a journalist, an engineer, a microbiologist, a carpenter, an
working to change that.” Over 60 middle years schools in five school divisions nominate their students to participate in Career Trek’s Phase 1 Program based on the potential they have to attend post-secondary education. “The students who finish programming and graduate from Career Trek are very different from the students they were when they first started in the program,” says Melissa Reynolds, Phase 1 Program manager. “They are confident, assertive and proud.” “Graduation day is a whirlwind but we hope that we leave a lasting impression on their lives and that they have truly taken an experience that was very valuable to them,” adds Reynolds.
electrician and a stockbroker, these students experienced, engaged, and learned careers from various fields and had the opportunity to find their strengths and what they enjoyed doing. “As a kid, I was frustrated that I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life when I wasn’t given the opportunity to figure out what I was good at or capable of,” says Darrell Cole, executive director, Career Trek. “With this organization we want to expose kids to careers they may have never considered with hopes that they’ll take post-secondary education in the future.” “Some kids don’t realize the potential they have in themselves to accomplish their dreams or succeed,” adds Cole. “We’re
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May 5 - 10, 2010
Balitang Kutsero by Perry Diaz PerryDiaz@gmail.com llustration by Dave San Pedro
‘Tapos na ang boksing’ *** anny “Pekman” Villar called his tocayo Recently, presidential (namesake) Manny wannabe Dick Gordon told the “Pacman” Pacquiao to ask for his media: “The counting of votes in help. Their conversation goes: the first automated elections on Pekman: Tocayo, I need your May 10, 2010 should be finished within 24 hours, not two to three help. Pacman: I’ll try, tocayo. How can days as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) estimates.” I help you? Pekman: Well, have you ever been He is probably right; however, in some cases -- like his -- it might knocked out in the ring? Pacman: Dili man (never), just take a few minutes to finish tocayo. I’ve been knocked down a counting their votes. A US East Coast supporter few times but never knocked out. I always got up before the count of Gordon says that there are 10 reasons why people should vote of ten. Why do you ask? Pekman: Well, I feel like I’m for Gordon. Very impressive list. being knocked down by Noynoy But a West Coast supporter of with his black propaganda. The Noynoy says there is only one “Villarroyo” label, the C-5 reason why people should not scandal, the Norzagaray land- vote for Gordon; that is, he’s not grabbing case, the Savannah going to win so why waste your illegal conversion scandal, the vote? In a telephone interview with San Pedro land-grabbing issue, the “pekeng mahirap” (faking Inquirer, Gordon -- who scored poverty) scandal, and the two two percent in the latest Pulse Asia bogus psychiatric reports on survey -- said that even if he tops Noynoy are knocking me down, the survey, he would not publish one after another. Can you help me its results. “I don’t want to use get back up and win the election, surveys as tools for propaganda,” he said. Hmmm… tocayo? My investigative reporter Pacman: As far as I am concerned you’re still my belabed president, James Macaquecquec told me that tocayo. But I’m sorry I can’t the following day, “Flashy Dick” help you this time. It’s over for Gordon hastily called for a press you. Tapos na ang boksing! (the conference to announce a breaking news: the results of another survey boxing is over!). conducted by another pollster. He told the media: “Finally, Pekman: Gago!
my message is resonating with the voters. I moved up from the bottom of the surveys to number two in a new survey released just 30 minutes ago. There’s less than one percent between me and the frontrunner.” He proudly showed the chart to the media. James asked Flashy Dick, “Who is the frontrunner? Is it still Noynoy Aquino?” Flashy Dick eyeballed the chart and said, “Hmmm… Noynoy? Not anymore! Omigosh! The frontrunner now is Jamby Madrigal!” James grabbed the chart and looked at it. “Sir,” James said, “I’m sorry to tell you but you were reading the chart upside down. You’re second to the last, just one-half percent ahead of Jamby!”
of garbage, is complaining that he’s now swimming in a sea of black propaganda. Makes one wonder which would he prefer if he’s given a choice today: would he rather go back to his poor childhood and swim in a sea of garbage or have all the money and power he wants and swim in a sea of black propaganda? But if he asked lame duck prez Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, she’d probably tell him that she’d rather swim in a sea of black propaganda provided she remains president for life. See, once you’ve tasted power, you’ll never let go of it… until the people kick you out.
With just one week -- or a lifetime -- to go, it’s time for the four tailenders to call it quits and release their supporters to the top four contenders in the presidential derby. The tailenders are Dick Gordon, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Jamby Madrigal, and JC de los Reyes. If they withdrew from the race, Flashy Dick and his nephew JC would probably support Villar while Jamby would probably *** support Noynoy and Bro. Eddie would probably tell his supporters It was reported that to go to his church. Nacionalista Party (NP) senatorial candidate Adel Tamano consoled The following is my fearless himself by saying that NP standard forecast for the 2010 presidential bearer Manny Villar had “more race, plus or minus 3%: than enough time” to catch up with Noynoy’s lead. “In politics, 1. Noynoy Aquino 35% one week is a lifetime. So, we 2. Erap Estrada 25% have two weeks, two lifetimes to 3. Gibo Teodoro 20% catch up. We have much time to 4. Manny Villar 15% work double time,” he said. Yup, 5. Others 5% Adel was right - -one week is a lifetime. But Noynoy is 10 weeks *** ahead of Villar. That makes it a millennium. Too late for Villar to Game of the generals… catch up, Adel. Better luck in the In a press conference. Noynoy next life. confirmed that “members of PMA Villar, who claimed that Class 1977 and some younger he grew up swimming in a sea batches met with him several
times to express concerns about the May 10 elections.” Earlier, he said that there were discussions about the officers’ role in the event that there is a “failure of elections.” This alarmed Chief of Staff Gen. Delfin “Emperor” Bangit who said that he would investigate Noynoy’s claim about the “meetings.” Noynoy responded that he is not interested in proving his claim to Bangit because he’s not interested in Bangit’s vote. Whoa! That’s takes a lot of cojones for Noynoy to say that to the Emperor. But if Noynoy wins in the elections, Bangit will need Noynoy’s “vote of confidence” to keep his job. However, I would not be surprised if the Emperor was exiled to the island of St. Helena after the elections. I heard that the cottage in St. Helena is in the same condition as it was when Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was there. *** If Noynoy won the presidency, we would witness the first presidential wedding in the country’s history. Noynoy announced that if he and his girlfriend Shalani Soledad are going to get married, he’ll have Rey Marfil, a 38-year old columnist from Abante, as the “ring bearer.” It would be the first time -- in my memory -- that an adult was chosen as “ring bearer.” But who would be the flower girl? Hmmm… Juana Change would make a wonderful “flower girl.” She’s about the same age as Rey. But I would not, under any circumstance, recommend that Manny and Cynthia Villar be their “cord sponsors.” That would be like putting a noose around their necks. Ugh!
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Filipino Journal 25
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
26 Filipino Journal
by aLfie vera mella elfideas102@yahoo.com
Jukebox Stars of the Philippines (Part One: Male)
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hen talking of jukebox kings and queens, music enthusiasts in the Philippines refer to artists or singers (local or foreign) who had a string of singles that became favorites of many people to play on public jukeboxes in the late 1960s to the early 1980s, when jukeboxes were common fixtures in restaurants and other eateries in the capital region and other urbanized areas of the country. That Wonderful Sound Machine A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media (traditionally vinyl records). The classic jukebox has buttons with letters and numbers on them that, when combined, are used to indicate a specific song from a particular record. Very popular in the United States particularly in the 1950s, jukeboxes caught on in the Philippines already in the late 1960s. No Single King nor Queen Many Filipino singers have claimed to be the “Jukebox King” or “Jukebox Queen.” There are also fans and so-called music journalists who would fight for this title for their respective idols. However, there is really no one artist nor singer whom we can proclaim as the jukebox king or queen in encylopedic terms, unless a systematic national survey of jukebox-music enthusiasts has been conducted or a nationwide accounting of record sales has been made, which I haven’t heard
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The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
of. Until then, all we can do fairly is only to cite examples of artists and singers whom we may regard as jukebox stars. Besides, titles like “Asia’s Songbird,” “American Idol,” “Princess of Balladry,” and “King of Pop” are merely subjective appellations— ploy of marketing executives of record companies to promote
their contractual talents and commercial mediapeople’s tool to influence the taste and choice of the listening public based on their own musical preferences. Furthermore, what’s the point of declaring the king or the queen for this and that title when the world at large has already lots of “kings” who are actually dictators trying to curtail the sense of freedom of their subjects, as well as pageants and competitions which—instead of truly promoting beauty, intelligence, sportsmanship, and camaraderie—only breed jealousy in the hearts and the tendency to cheat in the minds of the masses? Therefore, in the spirit of
fairness and for the purpose of cultural objectivity, I will simply cite Filipino artists and singers all of whom may be regarded as jukebox stars of the Philippines for the simple reason each had a number of songs that became jukebox favorites of many people during the Philippines’ jukebox era (late 1960s to early 1980s). Eddie Peregrina (1944– 1977) was a popular young singer and actor in the late 1960s through the 1970s, who started singing at the age of six and who, unfortunately, died in 1977 in a vehicular accident at the peak of his showbusiness career. His jukebox hits included “Memories of Our Dreams,” “Alaala Ay Ikaw,” “What Am I Living For,” “Nabubuhay Ako dahil sa Iyo,” “Together Again,” “Two Lovely Flowers,” and “Mardy.” Peregrina’s songs are often Pop ballads, although he also recorded a few Garage Rock–type songs with his band The Blinkers (whose style is reminiscent of ’60s Garage Rock bands like The Yardbirds). Victor Wood (1946–present) is a singer, songwriter, and actor whose peak of popularity was in the 1970s. After two decades of hiatus, in 1997 he returned to the scene with a new album. Some of the songs he recorded and which became jukebox favorites include “Kay Lupit Mo, Pag-ibig,” “Lonely Days, Lonely Nights,” “Hahabul-habol,” “Birheng Walang Dambana,” and “Bintana ng Puso.” The style of Wood is often described as a combination of Engelbert Humperdinck and Tom Jones. Rico J. Puno (1953–present) is a Filipino singer and entertainer who continues to have an enduring showbiz career, which now spans more than three decades. He started singing professionally and releasing records in 1975 and, to this day, is still recording and performing. His songs that became jukebox favorites particularly in the late 1970s through the early 1980s include “Kapalaran,” “Buhat,” “Macho Guwapito,” “May Bukas Pa,” “Ang Tao’y Marupok,” and “Magkasuyo Buong Gabi.” Final Note Peregrina, Wood, and Puno are just three musically prolific Filipino singers all of whom may be regarded as jukebox kings. Others whose songs used to adorn also the jukeboxes in the ’70s and early ’80s include Hajji Alejandro (“Nakapagtataka”), APO Hiking Society (“Pumapatak Na Naman ang Ulan”), Yoyoy Villame (“Magellan”), and Rey Valera (“Ako si Superman”). In the next issue we will cite some of the female counterparts of these jukebox stars, as well as a few foreign artists who also had many hits in the Philippines during the jukebox era.
NEWSFLASH by Perry Diaz PerryDiaz@gmail.com
W
Junk AES, Go Manual
ith just four days left to election day, the Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines lay idle with “lobotomized” Compact Flash (CF) cards waiting for a surgical procedure to correct the glitches that turned the PCOS into automated dagdag-bawas cheating machines. Indeed, what’s happening is the culmination of a series of suspicious missteps in the development of the Automated Election System (AES). The Comelec commissioners had an opportunity to rigidly test AES but instead took the easy and convenient way by foregoing the requisite tests. It was like saying, “Hey, let’s not do the tests and just cross our fingers and hope that everything would be hunky-dory.” That would be akin to NASA designing a space ship without testing its prototype and then use it to send an astronaut to the Moon. If you were the astronaut, would you agree to board the space ship? So, it wasn’t a surprise that when Comelec officials performed some tests in selected precincts, the PCOS machines malfunctioned. The tests conducted in Occidental Mindoro and Muntinglupa City showed that the votes for Noynoy Aquino and Many Villar were counted for administration candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro. Latest news on this imbroglio says, “Machines that will count votes in the Philippines presidential election next week worked accurately after last-minute repairs, but tallies still may be delayed in the most far-flung areas of the archipelago, officials said Thursday.” Now, this is highly suspicious. How could SmartmaticTIM make the corrections, install the new CF cards, field-test the 76,000 PCOS machines that were affected by the glitch in less than two days? What is the likelihood that a large number of the -- if not all -- 76,000 new CF cards would malfunction on election day when 50 million voters go to the polls?
No contingency plan Yesterday, Helen AguilaFlores, a Comelec official in Western Mindanao told a meeting of civilian, police and military officials: “That Comelec has no contingency plan in case automation fails is a reality that I want everyone to wake up to, and as of today… I am sorry to tell you, my office cannot answer that. Hopefully we cross the bridge when we get there.” The problem is: That bridge leads to nowhere but chaos and total breakdown. According to Comelec officials, the 76,000 corrected CF cards will be delivered to precincts throughout the country on May 8, two days before election day. That means that Comelec has less than two days to re-test the PCOS machines. What References h t t p : / / e n . w i k i p e d i a . o r g if the tests failed again? With no contingency plan, what’s next? [05/04/10].
http://video48.blogspot.com “Melodramatic” [05/04/10].
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A few weeks ago, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, after 17 million manual ballots had been printed, stopped the production because he believed that the automated system was fail-safe. He even ordered one of the five printers disabled because it was no longer needed. Then he promised that if AES failed to work, he would resign. Melodramatic, indeed. I must admire him for his bravura. He’s got balls of steel. It’s like Indiana Jones cutting the suspension bridge after crossing into the jungle to face the unknown. But Melo is not Indiana Jones! He is responsible for the orderly process of electing more than 70,000 candidates running for office on May 10. For him to implement an untested automated system without a contingency plan is not only irresponsible, it’s a crime against the Filipino people. He should resign now! However, that would be an easy way out. But there is no easy way out of the predicament that Comelec is in right now. It’s caught between two hard rocks. If the elections were postponed, it could lead to military intervention to protect the State, officially, and Gloria Arroyo, unofficially. If the elections were to proceed, failure of elections would likely occur in which case the military would certainly intervene to protect the State… and keep Gloria in power. Failure of elections Notwithstanding claims that everything is now okay, there remains a great potential for a catastrophic failure of elections on May 10. In the computer and automation industry, “contingency planning” is an integral part of an implementation plan to deal with glitches and other problems. Murphy’s Law, which says, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” is foremost in any system designer’s concerns. He has to develop a contingency plan or a workable backup system, which could be the system that is being replaced. After all, the existing system works. When Melo decided to stop printing the manual ballots, he committed a cardinal sin. He violated the rule not to discard the old system until the new system is perfected and implemented successfully. Manual system Last May 6, it was reported that “Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero joined calls for the holding of a mandatory manual counting next week as he doubts the Commission on Elections’ ability to push through with the automated polls.” As Co-chairman of the congressional oversight committee on poll automation, Chiz said that “all indications showed Comelec could not proceed with the first automated polls in the country.” He said that Comelec has to admit that see page 27
May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Filipino Journal 27 continued from page 26
From the Desk of
Councilor Mike Pagtakhan
Mayor Celebrates Youth Accomplishments with Youth Week
W
innipeg – Committed to building a City of Opportunity for all our citizens, Mayor Sam Katz announced on April 30 that the City of Winnipeg’s Youth Week, from May 1–7, would celebrate young people who actively participate in our community and encourage more youth involvement in municipal issues through a variety of events across Winnipeg. Youth Week, which would take place across Winnipeg, would focus on the accomplishments of youth in athletics, art, volunteerism, drama, advocacy, and other municipal issues through various fun and interactive community celebrations that build on existing connections between young people and the community. Throughout April, the Mayor’s Office has invited high schools, businesses, nonprofit agencies, and community and faith-based organizations to build a weeklong celebration of events for youth and by youth occurring citywide during Youth Week. A complete list of events and their coordinators is available on samkatz.ca. As a commitment to Youth
Week, Mayor Katz would also host the Mayor’s Youth Forum on May 3—a roundtable event for student representatives from high schools across the city—as an opportunity to hear ideas and perspectives directly from youth themselves on how to engage in and participate at City Hall. “One of Winnipeg’s greatest assets is our youth and I believe that through the youth forum and Youth Week, we can get a fresh new perspective on how we can encourage and invite our young people to become more involved and informed as tomorrow’s leaders,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “I am also immensely proud of the incredible
commitment we see every day from our city’s youth actively engaging in the community, and Youth Week will certainly shine the spotlight on their hard work and creativity which is much deserved.” The United Nations proclaimed 2010 the International Year of the Youth, commencing August 12, 2010. The Mayor’s youth recognition and celebration events will launch into the Year of the Youth and include events early to accommodate the school year and summer holidays. More youth recognition events will be held in June – details will be announced later in May.
Friday, May 14 Riverwood Community Church Youth Movie Night “To Save a Life” $5 at the door; proceeds in support of Senior High School students serving in Mexico. Contact Information: Mandy Jaques, Director of Student Ministry Phone Number – 204.668.3181 Email – mandy@riverwood.cc
Friday, May 21 Linden Christian School Day of Service “Our Grade 11 and 12 students work in inner city programs, such as Siloam Mission, Union Gospel, Habitat for Humanity and New Life Other Events in May Ministries.” Saturday, May 8 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Contact Information: Derek Kroeker, Vice Principal Winnipeg Phone Number – 204.989.6730 Scavenger Hunt at the Zoo For children and youth that are Email – dkroeker@lindenchristian. waiting for a Big Brother or Big org Sister; closed event. Contact Information: Judy Moar, Director of Special Events Phone Number - 204.988.9210 Email – judy@bigwinnipeg.com Tuesday, May 11 Youth in Philanthropy – The Winnipeg Foundation Special event for participating students and grant recipients. Please contact The Winnipeg Foundation for details. Contact Information: Joanna Fultz, Youth in Philanthropy Convener Phone Number – 204.944.9474 ext 248 Email - jfultz@wpgfdn.org
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Junk AES, Go Manual it can’t proceed with automation for Congress to intervene and set another date for the balloting. Melo can save face by blaming Smartmatic-TIM for the fiasco, after all it was Smartmatic-TIM who -wittingly or unwittingly -- created the problem. And this brings to mind if Smartmatic-TIM was purposely brought in -- a Trojan Horse -for the purpose of sabotaging the elections to insure the victory of administration candidates. The only way to stop the impending “carnage” is to remove the Trojan Horse from the scene and resort to the manual system. The time has come for Comelec to make the final decision prior to implementation: “GO” or “NO GO.” The decision should be “NO GO.” Junk AES, go manual.
28 Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
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May 5 - 10, 2010
May 5 - 10, 2010
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Filipino Journal 29
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30 Filipino Journal
The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
Angie celebrates post-birthday with coworkers
Angelita celebrated a post-birthday get-together with RHC coworkers Donna Liza Arlante, Allan Bactol, aLfie vera mella, Veronica, and Mercedita Aguinaldo with husband, Fernand.
May 5 - 10, 2010
Letty Antonio celebrates 73rd birthday
A surprise party at Player’s course Restaurant was given to Letty Antonio to celebrate her 73rd birthday by her loved ones: from Eddie, Amy, Simon and Maricor Antonio (not in photo); Gina, Jhun, Samantha & Kevin Algabre; Harold, Josephine, Gerard, Ron Ron, Johar Antonio; Mercy, Justin Ken & Hazalle Jade Antonio; Anthony, Christy, Luke Anthony & Shiloh Antonio; Jimmy, Cynthia, Aijay, Coleen, Camille, Nicole & Lizelle (twins) Antonio; Sunshine, Ratha, Sunrah and Suntha Chea (not in photo).
WAAY in the Philippines
Y
es, Some kids way back home were lucky enough to experience the game of basketball the WAAY way. The
Winnipeg based league president, mini tournament on these grade Angel Martinez, donated a 2 kids in Cabuyao, Laguna. Hep precious week of his time running Hep Hooraay! a basketball clinic and weekend
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Filipino Journal 31
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32 Filipino Journal
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